The use of personal mobile electronic devices that can be carried on a person has increased dramatically in recent years. Such devices include cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld computers, broadcast systems, music and video playback devices, sophisticated digital watches and calculators. A personal mobile device can be transported by the user by attaching the device to clothing or articles worn by the user or carrying the device within the clothing. For example, some personal mobile devices can be carried in a shirt pocket, clipped to a belt, or otherwise attached to or included in apparel or other items worn by the user. Other personal mobile devices can be secured to the body using a wristband, armband, headset clip and the like.
User interaction with personal mobile devices can be improved by providing voice recognition capability. The user speaks a voice command which is recognized by the device and results in the activation of a particular device feature or operation. Devices that provide voice recognition capability are typically larger in size than similar devices without such capabilities due to the size of the embedded microphone and voice recognition unit. Consequently, it can be impractical for a user to carry multiple personal mobile devices each having its own voice recognition capability. Furthermore, the cost to the user for including a microphone and voice recognition unit in each device can be substantial.
The location of a personal mobile electronic device about the body can limit its ability to receive voice commands without distortion. For instance, a device not disposed in the front hemisphere about a user's head (i.e., near the mouth), such as a device secured to a belt or disposed in a pocket, may receive muffled or distorted speech. Moreover, as the distance between the device and the user's mouth increases, background noise can degrade the ability of the device to interpret voice commands spoken by the user. For example, the device can have difficulty differentiating between casual conversation in the same area as the user, and the user himself. If the device does not recognize a voice command, the device may not respond or an improper device feature or operation may be activated, causing delays, confusing operations, and causing user frustration.
What is needed are a method and system that allow a user to control personal mobile electronic devices disposed proximate to the body that are not subject to the problems described above. The present invention satisfies this need and provides additional advantages.